Lithuania - December 2023

Parliament adopted amendments to the procedure for accommodating asylum seekers with 72 votes in favour, four against and 20 abstentions. In June 2023, the Constitutional Court annulled provisions specifying that asylum seekers should be held in temporary accommodation facilities, without the right to move freely within Lithuania, pending a decision on their asylum application. The amendments seek to address the concerns raised in the ruling, by providing that the individual circumstances of asylum seekers must be considered in the decision for accommodation. The changes specify that the right to free movement cannot be restricted, except for in certain circumstances, to be evaluated on an individual basis, but never for a period exceeding 28 days. The amendments provide for the possibility of appeal within 14 days of receiving the accommodation decision and specify conditions for temporary departures from the accommodation territory.

Sources: Seimas, Register of Legal Acts (1), Register of Legal Acts (2), Constitutional Court, International IDEA